Shadow Slave

Even after living through the horrors of the Southern Campaign and witnessing the chilling resolution of the Battle of the Black Skull, Sunny still paled at the sight of the enormous swarm of Corrupted Beasts. There were too many of them to count, but there had to be tens of thousands of translucent crustaceans advancing toward the island.

Even Nephis seemed taken aback- a rare sight, and not a welcome one. She instinctively outstretched a hand, as if summoning a sword could save them from the plague of Corrupted abominations.

"It's... it's alright."

Her voice was even but lacked confidence.

Sunny forced out a faint smile.

"How exactly is this alright?"

Nephis lingered for a moment.

"These creatures don't seem capable of leaving the water."

Sunny closed his eyes for a moment. Yes, the abominable krill were probably incapable of crawling onto the island and devouring them. However, they were more than capable of devouring the Azure Serpent. And with the old snake gone, nothing would prevent the dark butterfly from landing on the shell of the slain Great Monster.

"That's right. You are going to die."

He flinched and glared at the Sin of Solace, who had appeared out of nowhere and looked at him with dark glee.

The sword wraith laughed, and then whispered:

"Better yet, you are going to watch Nephis die. Isn't it poetic?"

Sunny tried to ignore the vile apparition, but this time, it was much harder than usual. With the words of the Sin of Solace still echoing in his ears, he forced himself to look away and stare at the river.

lowered its head stubbornly, huffed, and suddenly shot toward the krill swarm with tremendous speed. The water parted and foamed

they were filled with bloodlust and fury. That snake... did not know when to retreat. Or rather, it never wanted to. Its lust for slaughter and destruction seemed much

admirable, really. What

virtue. The Azure Serpent's extreme bloodlust had made it into a much more fearsome existence

was and how sharp its fangs were, the serpent could only crush that

a thousand Corrupted creatures were going to sink their teeth into the Great Beast's flesh. Even though there

mad beast possessed unnatural powers, but it only possessed inconceivable physical might. Not all enemies,

And yet, and yet...

but root for

old snake...

swift figure of the azure leviathan was closing in on the rushing krill swarm, moments away from clashing with it. It seemed like a

it was

swayed, pushed back by the shockwave of

The krill, however...

much closer to the source of the roar, the shockwave spread through the swarm like a battering ram. Sunny's

swarming abominations... were

closer to the Azure Serpent, were paralyzed completely,

he could, and then a little further still.

of the serpent moving, his long body contracting like a bow. Then, its tail shot forward like a whip, and a sudden explosion sent countless tons of water rushing outward in a crushing wave. The sonic boom was even louder

completely obliterated by the tail

rushing from all

opened and snapped, grinding a

a

if trying to turn its long snout into a drill. Sunny did not see how this could help

along the length of its colossal